June 10, 2017
Dear Honors English 9 student,
Welcome to the wonderful world of Honors English 9, which awaits you this fall! Our journey of adventure will take us to a variety of places, stories, and styles, with such intriguing destinations as ancient Greece, nineteenth century England, America in the nineteen-thirties, and western Europe in the distant, or perhaps not too distant, future. Along the way, we will be analyzing, discussing, and writing extensively, so be prepared to expand your mind, your lexicon, and your library!
Below, you’ll find information about the TWO novels which you’ll need to buy to begin this course; these should be readily available at any leading bookstore (for example, Barnes & Noble), or you could purchaseonline (for example, at amazon.com). There will also be a limited number of copies available at the front desk at BSM during the summer months.Please have the actual text in both cases, not an electronic version. You will need these in class.
Rash by Pete Hautman (Edition: Simon Pulse – Simon & Schuster
ISBN #: 9780689869044)
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (Edition: really any would be fine)
Follow the instructions carefully on the study guides accompanying this letter. Note: there are THREE parts to this summer assignment; if there is not enough room on the sheet for Rash, feel free to just type out the quotations and notes as indicated for To Kill a Mockingbird. The key is to read both novels with a pen/highlighter in hand so that you can jot down notes as you read (read through the study guides before you start so that you have an idea what to look out for) – this will be key to ALL of your reading and note-taking this year. When finished, all your assignments must be printed out.
Most important: ALL MATERIALS MUST BE READY TO BE TURNED
IN ON THE FIRST OFFICIAL DAY OF SCHOOL:
TUESDAY, AUGUST29th
So, we begin our adventure. Honors English 9 is a demanding course, but I think you’ll really enjoy the range of literature we cover and the often surprising directions which our journey will take. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer vacation, and I’ll look forward to seeing you as you begin your freshman experience!
See you in August!
Sincerely,
Katie Belanger
Honors English 9 Teacher